Kiwis lazy, slow, say Koreans

Press, 12 October 1988, Page 9

Kiwis lazy, slow, say Koreans

PA Auckland South Korean importers believe New Zealanders are lazy, and they cannot understand why New Zealand companies are not “beating on their door.” This is the "embarrassing” feedback that New Zealand’s assistant trade commissioner in Seoul, Mr Cliff Fuller, gets from Korean companies. He said in Auckland yesterday the Koreans complained that New Zealand companies were slow to respond to inquiries and were slow to adapt. There was considerable potential in Korea and companies should not be put off by the image of student violence and fears

of terrorism. Terrorism was not the norm and student demonstrations were confined to certain areas, Mr Fuller said. Mr Fuller is accompanied by Mr John Hundleby, the New Zealand trade commissioner in Osaka, and Mr Neil Holm, assistant trade commissioner in Tokyo. They said export potential to Japan and Korea remained “seriously under-recognised.” While there were easier markets to deal with, Japan and Korea should no longer be in the “too hard” basket. The two countries were large, prosperous .and increasingly accessible.